CIRCLE OF FIFTHS

Circle of Fourths diagram:

When you practice your scales, chords, etc on the piano, use the order of the above diagram, you go around it either clockwise or anti-clockwise. I prefer the anti-clockwise route, it is the most common in music..

Let us look at the key of C and F, don’t their scales look similar? The ONLY difference is that the key of F has got Bb instead of B.

The key of Bb is similar to the key of F, the only difference is that Bb has got and Eb instead of E. Hence, if you practice in this order C, F, Bb, Eb….etc. it would be much easier than playing in the order of C, Db, D. If you look at the table, the key of C has got no flats or sharps, but Db has 5 flats! So, very different from C making it ‘harder’ to practice in this order, that is, from C to D.

Memorize this circle, it is used commonly in many song progressions.

Jazz artist practice in the order of the circle of fifths.

Try and figure out these scales on your own, then come back to the table above to test yourself.

It is very important to learn and practice these scales until they are second nature to you.

Also, it is very important to know on which scale degree a particular note falls, for example, in the key of D, the G note falls on the 4^th scale degree.

Maybe you didn’t hear, let me say it louder this time, and I quote myself: “It is very important to learn and practice these scales until they are second nature to you.

Also, it is very important to know on which scale degree a particular note falls, for example, in the key of D, the G note falls on the 4^th scale degree.”

Knowing this information will help you play a song in different keys. More about this later.

click here for lesson 5